Anti-traditional vertical slice gel electrophoresis cell and a telescopic urging mechanism

ABSTRACT

Use a pair of U-shaped doorframe (with U-shaped rubber sealing gaskets affixed along them) to divide the inside of a transparent ark into 3 compartments. Develop out a telescopic pushing tool. Place it into the middle compartment, and then use it to force 2 pieces of vertical slice gel cassette to rest against the 2 door frames respectively, so as to transform the 3 compartments into 3 water-tight compartments. Wherein, the 2 side 2 are the 2 upper buffer chambers of the present electrophoresis cell. This kind of electrophoresis cell has only 2 necessary components, and it can be made to be compatible with all of those so called mini gel cassettes with different thicknesses and/or heights.

REFERENCED TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application clams the benefit of provisional application 62/124,463filed on Dec. 19, 2014 to USPTO

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to the design of vertical slice gelelectrophoresis device and specifically to the design ofanti-traditional vertical slice gel electrophoresis cell and atelescopic urging mechanism.

PRIOR ART AND THE COMMENT

Vertical slice gel electrophoresis is a kind of electrophoresistechnique mainly used for protein separation, wherein theelectrophoresis takes place in slice shaped gel media hold in verticalgel cassette. After the electrophoresis is finished, allow the cassetteto be prized open, and take the gel slice off for the followinganalysis. In the electrophoresis apparatus, a container that is incommunication with the upper opening of the gel cassette is called theupper buffer chamber (UBC); and the wherein electrode is an upperelectrode. The lower buffer chamber (LBC), and the lower electrode aredefined by the same way.

The key point of design a vertical slice gel electrophoresis cell is howto make the upper opening of the vertical slice gel cassette incommunication with the UBC without leakage? The solution in the priorart was that: firstly to make one sidewall of each vertical slice gelcassette to have a U-notched upper opening (refer to the FIG. 3 of U.S.Pat. No. 4,560,459, please); and then use an urging mechanism to force 2pieces of such kind vertical slice gel cassettes to sandwich a U-shapedquasi-UBC (refer to the part 11 of U.S. Pat. No. 8,808,520; the part 14of U.S. Pat. No. 4,560,459; or the part 53 of U.S. Pat. No. 6,001,233,please) tightly in between of them. Thereupon, a UBC/cassette complex isformed, and the both U-notched upper openings of the 2 gel cassettes areexposed to the inside of the complex simultaneously. Afterwards, as longas to place the UBC/cassette complex down into a LBC, thereupon atraditional vertical slice gel electrophoresis cell is formed. Wherein,the U.S. Pat. No. 4,563,459 and U.S. Pat. No. 6, 001,233 both use acam-lever as the urging mechanism for forcing 2 gel cassettes tosandwich the UBC in between of them. But, in U.S. Pat. No. 8,808,520, alarger diameter screw urging ring is employed as the urging mechanism.Thereby additionally making the electrophoresis cell has somecompatibility to deal with those thicknesses different gel cassettesfrom the market.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is developed out by getting enlightenment fromU.S. Pat. No. 8,808,520. The idea is: on one hand, to vertical cut aquasi-UBC (such as the part 11 of U.S. Pat. No. 8,808,520) into 2 piecesof U-shaped doorframes, and then to fix them onto the 2 oppositesidewalls of a transparent ark respectively. The existing of the 2U-shaped doorframes has already divided the ark into 3 compartments. Onthe other hand, to convert a turnbuckle into a plastic tubulartelescopic urging mechanism, and then place it into the middlecompartment, using it to push 2 pieces of vertical slice gel cassettesto let them to rest against the 2 doorframes respectively. As theresult, converts the 3 compartments into 3 watertight compartments.Among them, the middle one is the LBC, while the other 2 are the 2 UBCsof the present anti-traditional vertical slice gel electrophoresis cell.Anti-traditional styled electrophoresis cell has only 2 components, the2 gel cassettes have been moved to the 2 sides and their upper openingsbeen turned to face to the 2 sides of the cell. All of thesearrangements are favorable for the sample loading as well as for theelectrophoresis monitoring. In addition, the center located urgingmechanism can no longer block up the visual line of the operator; plusthe employed screwing urging mechanism can additionally bring about acompatibility to enable the electrophoresis cell to deal with thosethicknesses different gel cassettes from the market.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the tubular telescopic urging mechanism10A that is the critical component of the present anti-traditionalvertical slice gel electrophoresis cell.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a transparent ark that is the main bodyof the present anti-traditional vertical slice gel electrophoresis cell.Wherein, the 2 parallel doorframes are emphasized there by marking themwith section lines.

FIG. 3 is another perspective view of the transparent ark after the 2U-shaped rubber sealing gaskets have affixed on the 2 U-shapeddoorframes respectively.

FIG. 4 is the tope view of FIG. 3, but already have 2 vertical slice gelcassettes 10 and 10′ and the telescopic urging mechanism 10A been placedin their positions respectively.

FIG. 5 is the longitudinal sectional view of FIG. 4, whereinadditionally expressed the existence of the upper and lower buffersolutions.

FIG. 6 is a broken perspective view of a multi-compartment transparentark 18B.

FIG. 7 is a broken perspective view of a simplified telescopic screwingurging mechanism 10B that has only one pushing frame.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the telescopic screwing urging mechanism10A that is the critical component of the present anti-traditionalvertical slice gel electrophoresis cell, is made of plastic having atubular telescopic structure. Wherein, the center rotatable sleeve 11uses its one end to be rotatable coupled with the threaded tube 12 byforehand thread, while uses its other end to be rotatable coupled withthe other threaded tube 12′ by backhand thread. Therefore, turning thesleeve 11 in different directions can cause the 2 side threaded tubes 12and 12′, as well as the 2 frames 13 and 13′, to move away from eachother or to retraction back. The flange disk 14 is for facilitate peopleto easy rotate the sleeve 11. The function of the 4 pairs of telescopicfishing poles 16 s is for holding the two end frames 13 and 13′ alwaysin a same vector. This telescopic urging mechanism 10A has the sameworking principle as that of the turnbuckles. But this one is intend touse in the present anti-traditional slice gel electrophoresis cell forpushing 2 pieces of the engaged vertical slice gel cassettes to join the2 UBCs separately and simultaneously. Frames 13 and 13′ are used fortransmitting and distributing the pressures to the engaged verticalslice gel cassettes. This kind telescopic screwing urging mechanism as10A can be simplified to let its 1 side coupling without thread involvedin the coupling. But the simplified structure is still covered under thepresent idea.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a transparent ark 18A that is the mainbody of the present anti-traditional vertical slice gel electrophoresiscell. It is a container made of transparent material, has a profile sizethat is slightly larger than the engaged vertical slice gel cassettes.Wherein, the pair of U-shaped doorframes 20 and 20′ (have beenemphasized there, by marking them with section marking lines) areparalleled to each other, and also be face to face to each other. BothU-shaped doorframes use their U-shaped outer-edges to fix on theopposite 2 side walls, as well as on the bottom plate of the transparentark 18A. However, in the other situation, as described in the abstractand the summary 2 chapters, wherein the 2 U-shaped doorframes use theirU-shaped reverse sides to fix onto the opposite 2 side wallsrespectively of the transparent ark 18A and then let their 2 U-shapedfront sides to face to each other. However, if 2 object in face to facerelationship, they are also in parallel relationship. Anyway in the bothsituations, the existing of the 2 doorframes have already divided theark 18A into a left 26, a middle 28 and a right 26′ three compartments.The 24 and 24′ are 2 convex ribs, functionally to elevate the engagedgel cassettes to a little higher position from the bottom of the ark18A.

FIG. 3 is another perspective view of the transparent ark 18A as shownin FIG. 2. Wherein, the 2 U-shaped rubber sealing gasket 22 and 22′ havealready affixed along the 2 U-shaped doorframes 20 and 20′ respectively,and each sealing gasket 22 and 22′ with its U-shaped flange 23 or 23′ topoint to the other doorframe, as shown in the FIG. 3. In addition, ithad batter to make the U-shaped doorframe 20 and 20′ to be more thickeras the doorframe 20″ as showing in the double circles 25, and then todig a groove 21 along the U-shaped thicker doorframe 20″, so as toenable the groove 21 to hold the edge-fold of the U-shaped rubbersealing gasket 22″, but still let its U-shaped flange 23 to point to theother U-shaped doorframe.

FIG. 4 is the tope view of FIG. 3. Wherein, the 2 engaged vertical slicegel cassettes 30, 30′, and the telescopic urging mechanism 10A have beenplaced in their positions respectively. But, the telescopic urgingmechanism 10A is represented by its cartoon drawing. Besides, some ofother characteristic-less parts, such as the upper and low electrodewires and the banana plugs have been omitted from this FIG. 4. (However,the principle of layout the electrodes is still same as that as in thetraditional electrophoresis cell that is let a length of barenessplatinum wire to be arranged to parallel to the openings of the gelcassettes, and let it to connect to a banana plug mounted atop theapparatus via a length of covered platinum wire between them).

FIG. 5 is the longitudinal sectional view of FIG. 4. Wherein, thetelescopic urging mechanism 10A has pushed the 2 gel cassettes 30 and30′ to rest against the 2 U-shaped sealing gaskets 22 and 22′respectively. As a result, the hereby formed two water tightcompartments 26 and 26′ become the 2 UBCs, and the middle watercompartment 28 become the LBC of the present anti-traditional verticalslice electrophoresis cell. This FIG. 5 is also expressed the existenceof the upper and lower buffer solutions; the altitudes 36 and 38 are theupper and lower buffer solution should to arrived at respectively; andhow the upper buffer solution 36 can contact the upper end 34 of the gelslice by crossing the U-notched upper opening 32 of the gel cassette 30,etc. The thick dash-line 24 representatives the 2 convex ribs 24 and 24′as showed in FIG. 2, functionally for uplift the bottom openings of thecassettes 30 and 30′.

FIG. 6 is a broken perspective view of the multi-compartment transparentark 18B. Wherein a length of the U-shaped doorframe 20 is presentedthere in the right compartment; a U-shaped rubber sealing gasket 22 isthere affixed onto the doorframe 20 in the middle compartment; and avertical slice gel cassette 30 is there in its position within the leftcompartment.

FIG. 7 is a broken perspective view of the simplified telescopic urgingmechanism 10B that has only one pushing frame 13′at the one end.Wherein, the rotatable sleeve 11′ has a dome end 17, but uses the otherend to be rotatable coupled on the threaded tube 12′, which has apushing frame 13′ at the other end. Turning the rotatable sleeve 11′ canmake the pushing frame 13′ to push one vertical slice gel cassette torest against the U-shaped rubber sealing gasket 22 by letting the domeend 17 to rest against a side wall of a transparent ark.

What is claimed is:
 1. In the present anti-traditional vertical slicegel electrophoresis cell and a telescopic urging mechanism, wherein themain body is a transparent ark, said transparent ark comprising: (a) atleast one pair of U-shaped doorframes having a face-to-face relationshipof each other, fixed onto the inner face of said transparent ark, whichhas a profile size slightly larger than the profile size of the engagedvertical slice gel cassettes; (b) each of said U-shaped doorframes has aU-shaped rubber sealing gaskets affixed along it, and each of saidU-shaped rubber sealing gasket has a U-shaped flange pointing to theother U-shaped doorframe.
 2. The transparent ark as said in claim 1,wherein the existence of said 2 U-shaped doorframes have already dividedsaid transparent ark into 3 compartments, which are 1 middle compartmentand 2 side compartments.
 3. In the present anti-traditional verticalslice gel electrophoresis cell and a telescopic urging mechanism,wherein the telescopic urging mechanism is the critical component, madeof plastic having a tubular telescopic structure, said telescopic urgingmechanism comprising: (a) a center rotatable threaded sleeve and 2pieces of sided movable threaded tubes, each of which has a pushingframe fixed at its telecentric end; (b) said center rotatable sleeveuses its one end to be rotatable coupled with said one threaded tube byforehand thread, while said center rotatable sleeve uses its other endto be rotatable coupled with said other threaded tube by backhandthread. Therefore, turning said center rotatable sleeve in differentdirections can cause said 2 sided threaded tubes, as well as said 2pushing frames, to move away from each other, or to retract back.
 4. Thetelescopic urging mechanism as said in claim 3 is intended to placedinto the middle compartment as defined in the claim 2 for pushing 2pieces of engaged vertical slice gel cassettes to rest against said 2U-shaped doorframes of said transparent ark respectively, so as toconvert said 3 compartments into 3 watertight compartments, wherein the2 side watertight compartments are the 2 upper buffer chambers of thepresent anti-traditional vertical slice gel electrophoresis cell, due tothe 2 upper openings of said 2 gel cassettes exposed to therein; and themiddle water tight compartment is the lower buffer chamber of thepresent electrophoresis cell by the same reason.
 5. The telescopicurging mechanism as said in the claim 3 is simplified by cutting it into2 pieces, and then using a vault to seal and cover each of the cuttingface of said rotatable threaded sleeve, so as to make each simplifiedtelescopic urging mechanism having a moveable threaded tube with apushing frame end and a rotatable threaded sleeve with a vault end; saidsimplified telescopic urging mechanism can be used to force 1 piece ofvertical slice gel cassette to rest against 1 U-shaped doorframe by saidvault end resting against anything.